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"Field Before the Storm," Walter de Maria's Lightning Field
"Field Before the Storm," Walter de Maria's Lightning Field
"Field Before the Storm," Walter de Maria's Lightning Field

"Field Before the Storm," Walter de Maria's Lightning Field

Artist (American)
Date1977
MediumSilver-dye bleach print
DimensionsFrame: 25 × 44 in. (63.5 × 111.8 cm)

ClassificationsPhotograph
Credit LineGift of the Lannan Foundation, 2024
Object number2024.27.2
DescriptionView of open field with mountains in the distance. Sky is filled with dark clouds. There are vertical metal poles in the field at intervals.
eMuseum Notes
Breaking away from traditional forms and materials and rejecting the idea of art as a commercial object, several mid-twentieth century American artists created large-scale works in remote locations across the country, now referred to as Land Art or Earth Art. At the end of 1977, Walter De Maria completed his monumental piece The Lightning Field on a site in western New Mexico, connecting earth and sky with 500 stainless steel poles arrayed in a grid. He intended the piece as an immersive, personal experience that would unfold over time in physical space, either in solitude or in the company of just a few others. Because of that, the artist had conflicted feelings about photographs to represent the site. However, in the summers of 1978 and 1979, photographer John Cliett was hired work closely with De Maria to capture the installation across variations of light and weather. Photography is now prohibited, leaving Cliett’s extraordinary images to evoke this unique place that few will visit in person.
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